smooth text fade

[Marc Bruenink <marc bruenink de>]

Hi

I want to have such a smooth faded text like in windowmaker if if switch 
between 2 workspaces. 

For all who don't know windowmaker:
windowmaker has several workspaces. If you switch between them 
windowmaker fades in the name of the actual workspaces (on top, of 
course) and then....guess... blind it out.  

And this is exactly the stuff i want to have (a possibility to fade text 
on the top of all windows)
I think i've to create a window with transparent background. Further the 
window manager have to be disabled. The window should pipe all events to 
the underlying windows. aso.

But: i've absolutly no clue how to make this.
Hence i ask for:
- either a library which implements this functionality (gtk/gdk or xlib)
- or some further links about this topic

TIA
regards
marc(..)